Driver of the race - Canadian GP

[Louis B.]

Originally Posted by JohnSSC

Yes, absolutely Michael does not deserve consideration. I mean, after all he was as far back as 7th and finished 2nd. Horrible.


While not present at the race I did watch it - don't recall Michael spinning twice - perhaps we are thinking of Shumi Lite? Alonso shortcut the chicane as well...

I watched the race on telly too in the evening and, unlike you, I was there with a giant screen, uninterrupted by ads, just in front of us.

MS did twice what costed Raikonnen's P2 in addition of shortcutting the last chicane on at least three occasions. He also clipped the wall with his front right tyre on another occasion. I don't recall Alonso having done any of this.

Please don't confuse him with Fisico who shortcut chicanes and went on the grass on a few occasions. But for the safety car, MS would never have got close from Kimi. This thread is about the driver of the race. May anyone point out to me what MS did better than anyone else during the race?

[strider]

Originally Posted by Louis B.

MS did twice what costed Raikonnen's P2 in addition of shortcutting the last chicane on at least three occasions. He also clipped the wall with his front right tyre on another occasion. I don't recall Alonso having done any of this.

But for the safety car, MS would never have got close from Kimi. This thread is about the driver of the race. May anyone point out to me what MS did better than anyone else during the race?

I'm with you on this one, Louis. I voted for the 'other' option, because I thought Kimi took the fight to Alonso better than anyone else and it's good to see that happening. For the first stint it was a proper race, as at Monaco, and Kimi took fastest lap as well.

However, I agree that Alonso's drive was as close to perfect as anyone got that day and that on a strictly objective basis he should be the man. I did vote for him after Silverstone, btw, and he won that the award that time. MS did all the things you said, and possibly more off-camera, it's just that Kimi's second running-wide at the hairpin was at a crucial moment.

As an aside, the sooner they get back to hard compounds that don't create so many marbles, the better. It's ridiculous if on a perfectly dry track there is only one line. It reduces still further any chance of overtaking .

[JohnSSC]

He kept his head down, kept his focus despite his "mistakes" and most importantly, he did not "settle" for a position because his car was not "good enough."

I, unfortunately was forced to watch the feed from the Speed TV folks like the rest of the Great Unwashed as opposed to the big screen event in which I suppose I should stand in reverential awe. Like so many races that Michael had (and for which I did not make him "driver of the race") Alonso has the best car on the grid and brought it home where it should be, first place. The current iteration Ferrari has no business in second. SC or no, I thought there was no way he would catch Kimi, yet when Kimi made a mistake Michael pounced on it. And by the way, I thought Kimi drove well too but since he made a mistake, I guess not...

[Hein]

Originally Posted by Louis B.

May anyone point out to me what MS did better than anyone else during the race?

He NEVER gave up!

[Hein]

[QUOTE=JohnSSC]Yes, absolutely Michael does not deserve consideration. I mean, after all he was as far back as 7th and finished 2nd. Horrible./QUOTE]

Don't you just love sarcasm

[enemy-ace]

DC started last and made it into the points in a far inferior car than the Ferrari.
MS did an admirable job in the race sure, but I fail to see the brilliance of it.

[Louis B.]

Picnic time Louis. Let's see if John can take the heat of a full broadside. Fire!

Originally Posted by JohnSSC

He kept his head down,

This may explain why he went off track so often.

Originally Posted by JohnSSC

kept his focus despite his "mistakes"

He shouldn't have made mistakes to start with. Alonso clearly didn't do as many as Michael did. The Renault was not any easier to keep on the track than the other cars as evidenced by Fisi's numerous visits off line.

Originally Posted by JohnSSC

and most importantly, he did not "settle" for a position because his car was not "good enough."

One could argue thought that he "settled" with Montoya when he let him by on the first lap and by patiently waiting behind Trulli until the first round of pit stops. If aggressivity on the track is your main criterion than the palm should go to Kimi who truly gave it a go at Alonso down the straight before the final chicane despite the almighty superiority of the Renault as you put it.

Originally Posted by JohnSSC

I, unfortunately was forced to watch the feed from the Speed TV folks like the rest of the Great Unwashed as opposed to the big screen event in which I suppose I should stand in reverential awe.

I don't want you to stand in reverential awe. Just kneel down and bow your head like this:

Originally Posted by JohnSSC

Like so many races that Michael had (and for which I dird not make him "driver of the race") Alonso has the best car on the grid and brought it home where it should be, first place. The current iteration Ferrari has no business in second.

As far as I can see from the WCC and WDC standings, the "current iteration Ferrari" is the second best car such that MS brought it home where it should be. However, he needed JV's (bringing the SC in) and Kimi's (going wide) in order to do so. Alonso didn't need anyone's help. His life was indeed made more difficult by both SCs.

Originally Posted by JohnSSC

SC or no, I thought there was no way he would catch Kimi, yet when Kimi made a mistake Michael pounced on it. And by the way, I thought Kimi drove well too but since he made a mistake, I guess not...

I have no problem with you discarding Kimi for the most wanted 10/10th award of driver of the race but don't you think that what is sauce for the goose is gravy for the gander (or something like that).

(s) Louis "the post butcher" B.

[ralf fan]

Originally Posted by Louis B.

Please don't confuse him with Fisico who shortcut chicanes and went on the grass on a few occasions. But for the safety car, MS would never have got close from Kimi. This thread is about the driver of the race. May anyone point out to me what MS did better than anyone else during the race?

Actually it was Alonso.... who cut the chicane once and also had a moment at turn 1.... but this doesnt necessarily mean that it was a bad drive...

same with Ms a couple of moments doesnt mean that he had a bad day...

[Louis B.]

Originally Posted by ralf fan

Actually it was Alonso.... who cut the chicane once and also had a moment at turn 1.... but this doesnt necessarily mean that it was a bad drive...

same with Ms a couple of moments doesnt mean that he had a bad day...

Alonso might have cut the chicane but Fisi too did it on a few occasions and went out badly in the Senna esses at least once. He also went in the grass nearby where JV hit the wall. My point here is that MS was not the driver of the race as 44% of the people here (when I last checked the poll) appear to suggest and I am not talking of a couple of moments only.

P.S. I just feel the need to specify that I've already voted at least twice for MS in previous races this season. I just fail to understand why he is getting a so high percentage of votes this time.

[davyboy]

Its gotta be the quote of the year :

"Jenson is going through a tough time," said Coulthard. "His car just did not seem good. I'd say Jenson is still solid, doing a good job. But you can only pee with the **** you have got. "

Courtesy : David Coulthard.
Source : autosport.com today.

[Knowlesy]

Alonso had a few opposite lock moments and a chicne cut but it was Fisi who went grass tracking the odd time ralf fan.

To rule out MS because he had a few difficult moments (which were nothing serious I might add) is nothing short of ludicrous. The guy drove rather well and moved forward all race.

[Louis B.]

Originally Posted by knowlesy

Alonso had a few opposite lock moments and a chicne cut but it was Fisi who went grass tracking the odd time ralf fan..

Thks for clarifying this.

Originally Posted by knowlesy

To rule out MS because he had a few difficult moments (which were nothing serious I might add) is nothing short of ludicrous. The guy drove rather well and moved forward all race.

- "No Louis don't even dare replying to that!"

- "Come on Louis, an eye for an eye..."

- "No Louis, listen to me for once..."

- "Just a little tiny insult back to get even. You will feel so much better after that..."

- "It's only motorsport after all..."

*and the devil left the thread for another one*

[JohnSSC]

Interesting approach here. I suppose that as the discussion evolves and Alonso has now regressed from having a mistake free race to one where he "didn't do as many" there will be a continued wind tunnel effect here where as many "points" are deposited on the wall and we will just have to see what sticks....

So Michael's head being down was the cause of the offs. Presuming there was some tongue-in-cheek there based on the emoticon I would say that a willingness to push a car to the edge and beyond, is actually a plus. That last tenth is always the toughest to reap, is it not? The fact that once the edge was passed Michael was able to minimize the loss and carry the car forward.

The Ferrari as the 2nd fastest car on the grid? Not so sure that this is not because Michael is driving it as Massa has not been close on a regular basis. While Fisi is not the model of consistency, he has been closer to Alonso than Massa to Michael. I think with Massa (no slouch) you are seeing the truer pace of the Ferrari. Therefore Michael arriving in second place because of some sort of Manifest Destiny argument does not quite wash.

In re: Kimi, apparently my delicate sense of sarcasm made others think that I was dismissing him because he made a mistake. That is not the case. The real "sauce for the goose/gander" statement was that one - to wit, if Michael made too many mistakes and was not deemed worthy of consideration than Kimi should not be as well. I do not know why he was not included in the poll, but he certainly deserved a nod. He brought home a fast car (with a dodgy reliability record) in 3rd. Kimi is learning that you do not need to drive the wheels off of a car to make progress...

Finally, and no offense to those that have one, I remain minimally impressed with large screen TV's and therefore will save the reverential bows for Kent Gramm.

[Louis B.]

[strider]

Originally Posted by JohnSSC

...if Michael made too many mistakes and was not deemed worthy of consideration than Kimi should not be as well. I do not know why he was not included in the poll, but he certainly deserved a nod. He brought home a fast car (with a dodgy reliability record) in 3rd. Kimi is learning that you do not need to drive the wheels off of a car to make progress...

Thank you. At last. People seem to have forgotten that he also had problems (not of his making) and lost time in both pit stops. Hope you don't mind my adding the bold type, btw.

[JohnSSC]

No problem with the bold!

All that is gold does not glitter...

[marzF1rocks]

think trulli, he did a really good job

[RaceFreak]

DC starts at the back of the grid in that ****box Jag/Ferrari and finishes in the points. Thwn comes off with that comment (from a previous post) about peeing with the "cock you've got..." Priceless.

Somebody buy that man a beer !

[davyboy]

It really is a priceless comment alright. My respect for DC has elevated immensely since he left McLaren. He's an F1 'elder statesman' now with nothing to prove. He lets the kids get on with strutting their stuff and like the wiley old fox then shows them how its done by driving the wheels off a bedframe... and coloring the event with some wicked remarks. He really looks like he's having more fun than any other driver in F1 at the moment. Go 4 it DC !

[Dani Filth]

Originally Posted by enemy-ace

DC started last and made it into the points in a far inferior car than the Ferrari.
MS did an admirable job in the race sure, but I fail to see the brilliance of it.

Remember Massa in Malaysia ?
Schu at Monaco ? .. overtaking even .. but still no brilliance seen